The Sacrifices We Make
by Mubby
Summary: Set 6 years after the events of 3x09. Oliver and Felicity are happily married with a young son when the unthinkable happens. Contains established Olicity and bits of Fluff and Smut
1. Chapter 1

A/N- This fic is set six years after the events of 3x09 so don't read if you haven't watched. Contains established Olicity, some fluff, little bit of smut, twists and heartbreak. Enjoy!

Felicity smiled up at her husband as he held out the chair for her. She sat down and he gave her a quick, chaste kiss before taking his seat. "I'm so excited to get out of the house for a little while. I mean, other than work. And by work, I mean both our day and night jobs. A nice, quiet date night is just what we need."

"We're not exactly known for quiet dates. I seem to recall a missile launcher ruined our first one." Oliver ordered an overly expensive bottle of red wine from the wide-eyed waiter who'd overheard the last sentence. Felicity sent him a chastising look, still having a hard time, even after all these years,whenever he spent money on something she deemed extravagant. "We haven't had a date in six months, Felicity. I want to splurge on my wife."

She smiled softly, the light reflecting off of her loosely curled blonde hair, and he was struck, just as he was everyday for the four years that they'd been married, by the thought of how lucky he was to have her, to be able to hold her in his arms at night. "I guess we can both use a little splurging for one night. And as far as the missile launcher, _I_ seem to recall that that was not our worst date."

"So we had one bad day on our honeymoon," he said, drawing a snort of laughter from her.

"One bad day? We were attacked by a crazed assassin the first day we got there which led to Nyssa wrangling us into helping her track down his partner who locked us up in a little dark room for a day and a half."

The waiter left the wine and scrambled away quickly after taking their orders, having the bad luck of overhearing the strangest parts of the conversation. "The only reason Nyssa was even able to convince us to help her was because she managed to successfully guilt trip you over not inviting her to the wedding. And I take offense to the fact that you consider that dark little room as a bad day. It always held a special place in my heart." They smiled at eachother adoringly as they both took sips of their respective glasses.

"Okay, you're right. We did have a pretty spectacular time in that room," she acquiesced. The look he gave her melted her insides as she remembered all the things they did to pass the time that day.

They sat in comfortable silence for a little while, simply enjoying being together without the stress of work or bad guys or raising a kid. Just the two of them staring at each other over dinner, these were the moments they both cherished. "Maybe we should call Thea, check on Jack, make sure everything is going okay," Oliver told her as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, effectively ending the moment.

She reached across the table to take his free hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sure they're fine, Oliver. This isn't the first time Aunt Thea has babysat him and Jack loves spending time with her. The only thing that's going to happen is that he's going to pick up a few new swear words from her and Uncle Roy." It had surprised her, and at the same time it didn't, when Oliver had turned outto be the worry wart parent. She could only imagine what it would be like if their next child was a girl but she was getting ahead of herself. They'd only recently started discussing having another child. They'd only talked about children a few times before she'd become pregnant with Jack, both consumed with worry over what would happen if they brought a child into the dangerous lives they led. Things had gone surprisingly well in the two years since he'd been born, in large part due to the fact that there were plenty of people to keep the city safe now. They had a running joke about how there were more heroes now than criminals in Starling City, something that she wasn't going to complain about too much.

He put his phone back in his pocket, smiling sheepishly. "You know I worry but you're right. Thea is more than capable of watching him. This is our time."

They savored their meal, sharing a large piece of cheesecake for dessert before Oliver paid the bill, helping her with her jacket before they left the restaurant arm in arm. Oliver opened the car door but she didn't climb in, hooking her fingers in the belt loops of his black dress slacks and pulling him closer to her. She took his head in her hands, leaning up slightly to reach his lips with her own. It didn't matter how many times they'd kissed in the six years since their first, every one affected her, making her knees go weak, and every nerve ending in her body tingle. The things this man made her feel were like a drug, something that she was addicted to and could never get enough of, more in love with him now than she'd ever been. Reluctantly, she pulled away from him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I don't want to go home yet."

"I don't either. The Foundry?" They were both breathing heavily, his fingers twisted up in her hair as she leaned against the car, his body moving with her. She nodded, face flushed and eyes bright. He kissed her once more, grinding his hips into her before he moved back, opening the door, the door for her. He chuckled softly when a frown came over her face as soon as he was no longer touching her. He leaned over, whispering in her ear, "The sooner we get there, the sooner I can rip that gorgeous dress off of you." She shivered in anticipation, moving quickly into the car. Oliver grinned, shaking his head as he closed the door, making his way over to the driver's side.

They reached the Foundry in record time, dashing out of the vehicle and using the side entrance, racing each other inside, becoming drenched from the rain that was now pouring down. Seconds after they were inside, and making sure nobody else was here, Oliver slid her jacket off, taking her in his arms, one hand gripping her right hip as the other grasped her head, holding her impossibly close as his mouth sought hers out desperately. She moaned as his tongue caressed hers and his right hand reached up to knead her breast, alternating between rough and gentle. They backed up into a table and Oliver reached behind her, unzipping her low-cut red dress that was soaked from the rain, his lips never leaving hers as he pushed the straps off of her arms. He undid her bra next, freeing her breasts, and breaking their kiss so he could revel in her bare body, a sight he would never get enough of. His hands slid down her smooth skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake, sliding over her panties before grasping her thighs and lifting her up, setting her down on the cold surface. She yelped, jumping a couple of inches off of the table before slowly sitting down on it.

Oliver kissed below her ear. "I'm sorry," he said but she felt his smile against her skin, telling her that he wasn't very sorry. She was soon distracted by his lips making their way slowly down her neck, his tongue darting out and tracing a path along her collarbone before moving down to her left breast. His tongue circled her nipple teasingly before encircling it, making her gasp as he lightly bit her, his other hand moving to massage her right breast. He pushed her a little farther up the table, fingers pulling her panties down her legs, tossing them to the floor where they joined her discarded dress and bra, the only thing she was left wearing were the black stilettos that he loved so much. "Have I told you lately how astoundingly beautiful you are?"

"I think it's been a few days," she answered breathlessly.

"It's true," he said as his finger traced the inside of her thigh, stopping just before he reached her apex. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen and I'll do my best to remind of you of that as much as I can for the rest of our lives." He cradled her face gently in his hands, kissing her softly, grateful that he had her. "I love you, Felicity."

She smiled up at him sweetly, her immense love for him clear in her eyes, "I love you, Oliver."

Unable to wait any longer, he undid his pants, kicking them off as he pulled her up to the edge of the table. He entered her tortuously slow, holding her hips in place as she tried to make him drive deeper into her. He kissed her languorously until he was fully buried in her, staying still for a moment, savoring the feeling of being surrounded by her. He stared into her eyes as he began to move slowly. She was his wife, the mother of his child, the love and light of his life. He didn't know where he would be without her and he never wanted to find out. His arms wrapped around her tightly, her breasts pushing up against his chest as his thrusts quickened. She cried out his name, spasms rippling through her body, legs quivering as he pumped into her three more times before joining her in her orgasm. He peppered her damp forehead with kisses before withdrawing from her, Felicity gasping at the sudden emptiness.

"Now these are the kind of dates we should have more often," she told him when she could finally breathe again.

He chuckled, scooping her up in his arms unexpectedly, making her squeal. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Somewhere more comfortable."

* * *

Three hours later, they were curled up on the training mat, covered by a small blanket she'd found in a closet, exhausted and satiated. Her index finger traced patterns across his chiseled muscles while he played with strands of her hair absentmindedly. It had been a little over nine years since the first time he'd walked into her office with that bullet-riddled laptop and so much had changed. They were happily married with a wonderful son, miraculously managing a balance between their lives as the owners of Queen Consolidated, parents and heroes. There was a time when she never thought this could be possible, a time when they felt too far apart, a time when she couldn't even tell him that she loved him. He'd stood in front of her, across the room from where they lay now, and told her with absolute certainty that he loved her. She hadn't been able to tell him then and she'd regretted it the moment he'd walked out the door. She almost never got the chance to tell him and it had changed her entire life. When she discovered that he'd died on that mountain top, fighting Ra's al Ghul, it had felt like he'd taken her soul with him that day, leaving her with a raw, gaping wound for the two months that she believed he was dead. "Hey." he whispered softly in her ear. "What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about the first time you told me you loved me," she answered quietly.

"During the mirakuru attack?"

She shook her head. "When you meant it."

He kissed the top of her head, wrapping his body around hers. "I meant it then, I just didn't realize it. You're talking about what happened with Ra's six years ago, aren't you?"

She nodded, her hair brushing against his naked chest. "I regretted not telling you for so long." She sighed sadly, glancing around the room. "While you were gone, I had a hard time being down here. John and Roy used to find me just staring at the spot you were standing in when I last saw you. You dying destroyed me and I never want to feel that again." She didn't know why these thoughts were laying heavy on her mind, today wasn't the first time in recent weeks that she'd thought about the day he died. Maybe it had something to do with how happy she felt, knowing that it could disappear without a moment's notice.

"Do you remember the night I came back?" He asked.

She listened to his heart beat for a moment before answering. "Of course I remember. I remember sitting alone in my dark house, thinking about you and how I would never see you again, imagining what would have happened if I'd just told you how I felt that night. And then you knocked on the door."

His knuckle drifted across her cheekbone soothingly. "When I got back to Starling, there wasn't anywhere else that I wanted to be. All I could think about was seeing you and I'll never forgot the look on your face when you opened that door."

She laughed. "I slammed the door in your face."

"I mean after you opened it again. When you believed that it was really me. You threw yourself into my arms, telling me over and over again that you loved me."

"That was the first night we were together," she added.

"The first of many," he told her as he cupped her chin, tilting her face up to him so he could kiss her. "If Ra's hadn't killed me during that fight, it would have taken us a lot longer to get where we are today. That moment when I was dying, all I could think was how stupid I was for believing that we couldn't be together, convinced that I couldn't be the Arrow and Oliver Queen. It took me dying to realize that none of that mattered. What mattered was you, what mattered was how I felt about you, that's what was and still is important."

She recalled the agonizing moment when Nyssa had shown up at the Foundry with news of Oliver's death and she'd collapsed into the arms of John, sobbing and screaming. She never wanted to feel that again.

"Stop thinking about it, Felicity. It's in the past and we have a long, happy life together to look forward to, one filled with love and our amazing kids."

"Kids? As in plural?" she teased.

He rolled her over, his body on top of hers, the weight comforting and familiar. His face turned serious as he brushed her hair back, staring down at her. "I want to have another one. I know Jack wasn't completely planned but he's the best thing that ever happened to us. I want to give him a sibling."

"I do too but I'm worried. I already worry about keeping Jack safe, I'd die if anything happened to him. What if someone targets our children because of what we do?"

"I will never let anything happen to Jack or any hypothetical siblings we give him and I will do whatever it takes to keep our kids safe. Things are different from when I first came back from Lian Yu. Starling City is different, we're different. We've built a family, Felicity, not one with just us and Jack. We've built this huge family unit out of people we care about, people who would give their own lives to protect our son, we have a safety net."

She thought for a long moment. He was right. Things were different and they'd built something that mattered but he was wrong about one thing. "You built this, Oliver. You brought us together, you made us a family. You brought John and me and Roy into this. Every person who is loyal to us, every person who has risked their lives for this city, you are the one responsible for all of this."

Love brightened his blue eyes, her heart swelling as he gazed down at her. Dear god, she loved this man. There wasn't anything she wouldn't do for him. "There you go again, underestimating yourself," he told her.

"I'm not the one trying to dodge the compliment." After a quiet minute, she nodded her head. "Let's do it."

His face was still guarded but she knew him better than she knew herself. She could see the hope lighting up his face but she could also see the worry that she didn't mean it.

She grabbed his face, pulling him closer to her, pouring everything she felt into him. She used the passionate kiss to assure him of her love for him, to let him know that she still believed in him and that she always would. He was an amazing father and she was lucky that he was her husband. "Let's have another baby, Oliver," she told him once she managed to tear her lips away.

He grinned, happiness emanating off of him. "I love you, Felicity."

* * *

It was another hour before they finally pulled away from each other, reluctantly getting dressed. She looped her arm in his as they made their way out of the side entrance. They got ten feet out the door when she stopped suddenly. "I forgot my purse."

"Want me to go get it?"

She shook her head. "No, you go get the car. I'll be right behind you." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before heading back inside.

Oliver smiled, shaking his head. He shoved his hands in his pocket, strolling down the paved street, content. He was going to the home he shared with his wife and son, a house that would hopefully become fuller relatively soon. Life was perfect, something he never thought possible, and it was all due to Felicity. He owed everything to her.

_Bang!_

His heart stopped, the world slowing down as he turned back to the alleyway, the side entrance just out of sight. "Felicity?" He called out into the night. Panic seized him and he started running full-speed towards where he'd just been standing with her. "Felicity?"

The only thing he saw was her blonde hair strewn out on the ground, partially muddied by the small puddle she'd landed in. Terror gripped him as he fell to his knees, pulling her into his arms, cradling her. He'd pulled his jacket off, holding it against the bullet wound in her chest, trying his best to staunch the flow of blood with his shaky hands. Her breathing was shallow, her eyes flickering open and shut. "Oliver?" Her voice was meek, blood trickling out of the side of her mouth. "I think that guy took my purse." She looked down at herself, shock clouding her eyes. "Did he shoot me?"

"You're going to be okay, Felicity. Everything's going to be okay." He wanted it to come out reassuring but it sounded more like a desperate plea.

Understanding dawned in her eyes. She knew the truth, even if he wouldn't admit it. This wasn't fair, she didn't want to go. She wanted to watch her son grow up, see the man he would become. She wanted to experience life with Oliver, grow old together, spoil their grandchildren. She was foolish to think they would get a happy ending. They'd fought hard to get where they were but it wasn't enough. The universe was cruel, ripping her away from her family, leaving her boys on their own. She was scared, terrified, to die but as she stared up into Oliver's heartbroken face, she shoved that fear down, not wanting it to show on her face. She knew the others would help him, take care of him but she knew Oliver. He wouldn't accept help easily, if at all. She tried to reach up to touch his face but her limbs wouldn't cooperate with her and she knew she didn't have much time. "You're right, Oliver. Everything is going to be okay, you hear me? You are going to let them help you. Don't be stubborn and thick-headed, let them in. You and Jack are going to need all the help you can get."

Tears streamed down his face and he shook his head violently. "Stop, Felicity, don't talk like that."

"I love you, Oliver. Take care of our boy." She smiled one final time before her body went limp, falling eerily still.

Oliver shook her gently, whispering her name. His head fell, his cheek pressing against hers, running his fingers through her hair as he sobbed into her neck. A painful, animalistic howl escaped him as he held the body of his dead wife.

* * *

Roy and John arrived at Verdant at the same time, climbing out of their cars within seconds of each other. "Do you know why we're here?" Roy asked as he caught up to John.

Dig shook his head. "All I got was a 911 text from Oliver."

Apprehension filled them as they walked into the empty club, making their way through and punching the code into the secured door. Diggle made it down the stairs first, Roy running into his back when he froze in place. "Oliver, what happened?" John's voice cracked as he took one step forward.

Roy stepped around him, quickly wishing he hadn't when he saw Oliver perched on a chair, leaning onto the table and clasping Felicity's hand. The scene wouldn't have made his heart sink if it wasn't for the devastated look on Oliver's face and the blood he could see on Felicity's chest, the same chest that wasn't moving. He stared at her, incredulous, waiting to see her breathe. The moment dragged on until he came to the horrible realization it wasn't going to happen.

"She's dead," Oliver told them in a shattered whisper.

John walked over to him, hand grasping Oliver's shoulder, but he couldn't look at what was on the table, staring down at the floor instead.

"Who did this?" Roy asked, voice thick with his held-back tears.

Oliver's shoulders heaved and he didn't respond for a second, his voice despondent when he finally did. "She got mugged. That's it. How stupid is that? Everything we've been through and survived and she gets killed by some prick looking to steal a few bucks." He shook his head, his eyes never leaving her. "I'm sure it's on the security footage but I can't look."

"We'll find him, Oliver," Roy said as he started to walk over to the computer but found it was harder than he thought it would be to sit in that chair, knowing she wouldn't again.

"Maybe we should call Quentin," John offered.

"Not yet. They'll just take her away." He squeezed her hand harder, a sob rising in his throat. He didn't want to accept it. This couldn't have happened. They were just talking about having another kid, they had sex on this very table only hours ago. They'd been talking about the first time that he told her he loved her.

That was it. It clicked in his head what he needed to do. He stood up abruptly. "I need Thea to watch Jack for a day or two and I need the two of you to find this guy. Don't turn him over to the cops until I get back, I'd like to have conversation with the man who killed my wife." He picked Felicity up, ignoring that her skin was noticeably cooler than when he'd brought her down here not that long ago.

"Where are you going, Oliver?" John asked, following him over to the door.

Oliver stopped. "I'm going to Nanda Parbat and I'm bringing my wife back alive." He didn't give John the opportunity to say anything else before he bolted out the door, leaving John and Roy alone to share a worried look.

A/N- I was thinking the other night about how often in comic books the girlfriend/wife dies and I had a sad thought about what if Olicity got their happy ending only for Felicity to die. So I had to write a fic about it :) (even though I told myself I couldn't write any fics until I finished working on a different project) Also, I'm running off the theory that Oliver gets resurrected by the Lazarus Pit (I'm not 100% positive on how they'll use the bit but I did a little bit of research on how DC's used it before) and in my world, Thea and Quentin are in the know about Oliver because I think after nine years, they should know what's up. Reviews are always appreciated and I hope you enjoy this story that seized me and wouldn't let me go.


	2. Chapter 2

Roy paced around the Foundry, body tense, feeling the need to do something, anything. He'd watched the security footage but he couldn't do it again, Dig taking over. Felicity couldn't be gone, she just couldn't be. It wasn't real. "Do you think we should have stopped him?" He asked John quietly.

"I've watched this tape five times. I've seen Felicity get shot and die in Oliver's arms five times. I think Oliver will do whatever it takes to get her back and I'm not going to do anything to stop him." John leaned back in the chair, rubbing his weary, red-rimmed eyes. "We couldn't have stopped him, even if we wanted to."

"But what if he gets himself killed? I know that he's beaten Ra's before but he's lost to him, too. That's the only reason Oliver even knows anything about Lazarus Pits is because Ra's al Ghul killed him. What if he does it again?" All he could think about was how angry Felicity would be with him if she knew he let Oliver run off to Nanda Parbat alone, which made him remember her lying on that table, the fresh devastation of her death hitting him again.

"I don't know, Roy."

Roy stopped pacing and was going to sit when he realized the only chair left was the one they'd found Oliver in when he was keeping watch over Felicity's body. His pacing renewed with increased intensity. "Maybe we should have gone with him."

John sighed, turning his attention back to the computers. "He wants us here. We can help by figuring out who this son of a bitch is and catching him."

Roy rubbed his jaw, nodding, steadying himself before grabbing that last chair and pulling it up to the computer. He needed to keep it together. The Lazarus Pit brought Oliver back once, maybe it could do the same for Felicity. He prayed that it would.

"It will work, Roy. It has to." John read his mind, doing his best to assuage his fears but Roy could hear the concern in his face. He wasn't the only one praying for a miracle.

* * *

It had taken over a half a day for Oliver to arrive in Nanda Parbat, a time span that felt like an eternity. He carried Felicity's body into the secret cave that contained the Lazarus Pit that Malcolm Merlyn had shown him all those years ago. His feet felt heavy from the trip up here, each step taking every bit of energy he could muster. He should have felt exhausted but he felt numb, number than he'd ever felt in his entire existence. His heart seized every time he looked down at her, her usually animated face serene and calm.

The images of her dying in his arms were on replay in his mind, ravaging his soul when he remembered seeing the acceptance in her eyes. They were supposed to fight until the very end, there was never any other choice other than to survive, and he couldn't help but feel she'd given up the fight too soon. What was he supposed to do without her? How was he supposed to live in a world without her smile? Without being able to listen to her ramblings? How was he supposed to explain to his two-year old son that he failed to save his mom? Despair surged through him as he pictured going home to Jack without Felicity. That wasn't going to happen. This was going to work.

"Oliver, I received word that someone saw you enter the city carrying a blonde woman. It didn't take much to figure out this was where you were going." Ra's al Ghul's voice behind him didn't shock him, he'd known the League would be made aware the second he stepped foot in Nanda Parbat. He'd only hoped that he would have a chance to get her in the pit before anyone showed up.

"I need to do this, Ra's," he kept the edge of a warning in his tone. He wasn't going to let anyone stop him.

"And I'm afraid I can't let you. I can't allow people to waltz in here and use the Pit whenever they need to. If I did that, this place would be overrun in days, if not hours."

Oliver's body tensed with anger. He didn't want to fight Ra's but he would if he had to. "I'm not going to let anyone stop me. I'm not going to let her die."

Ra's regarded Felicity's slumped over body with nonchalance before shaking his head. "She's already dead, Oliver. You need to let her go."

"She's my wife," he spat, tears brimming in his eyes again. "Don't underestimate what I'll do to get her back."

Ra's stepped forward, his hand clenching the hilt of his sword. "I stopped underestimating you years ago. I'm merely curious to see how far you will go to save your beloved wife."

"Don't forget that last time we fought, I killed you. If it wasn't for the Pit, you wouldn't be here," Oliver needlessly reminded him.

"And the first time we fought, you were the one who died. If it wasn't for that Pit, neither of us would be here. Are you going to challenge me with no weapons? Cross your fingers and hope you live long enough to save her life?"

"I'll do whatever it takes to save Felicity," he told him, not an ounce of hesitation in his voice. Felicity was walking out of here alive, even if it meant he lost his life in the process. That thought was the only thing that helped him hold it together.

Ra's took another step forward. "I've met Felicity and I enjoyed her presence, I don't particularly want to see her dead. The question I'm asking is what are you willing to do to save her?"

"Anything," Oliver answered quickly.

"I'll allow you to use the Pit to resurrect her on one condition." The words held an ominous tone but one look down at the lifeless Felicity made his mind up for him. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her. Nothing.

"I already told you, Ra's, I'll do anything to get her back."

"Join the League, work with me, and I'll allow you to save your wife."

"I'm not an assassin. I'm not a killer, not anymore. What could you possibly gain with me here?"

Ra's shrugged. "I have my reasons. If joining us is not an option, then she shall remain dead. You said you'd do anything and this is what it'll take. Join us."

Oliver looked down at her. He wasn't a killer, something that wouldn't be changing anytime soon, but maybe he could join long enough to save her. He didn't care what happened to him as long as she was okay. "If I join you, you'll let me use the Pit to save her and you'll let her leave after? Head home to Starling and our family?"

"That would be the deal. I would give you my word in exchange for yours and I'm sure there is no need to remind you how seriously I take my word. You may not be a killer now, Oliver, but that's what it will take to get her back. Are you prepared for that?"

Oliver struggled to move his arm out from underneath Felicity, extending his hand out to Ra's. "You have my word."

Ra's shook his hand, an anticipatory smile on his face. "As you have mine."

* * *

Roy took to the streets as Arsenal, Diggle close behind him. They'd used the street cameras and facial recognition software to track the guy down to what they believed was his apartment. They'd waited until nightfall, worry that they hadn't heard from Oliver yet making them twitchy. They shared a nod outside the door before Roy kicked it in, storming inside with his bow drawn. The guy scrambled off of his couch, hands held up. "Woah, man, have you ever heard of knocking?"

Diggle bumped Roy's arm, pointing towards a purse sitting on the kitchen table. It was Felicity's. Roy stamped down the urge to let an arrow go, lodging it in the guy's throat. "Roger McConnell! You're coming with us."

Roger started to run but Roy shot an arrow, rope shooting out and wrapping around his ankles, tripping him and sending him sprawling to the floor. Roy threw him to his back, punching him dead center in the face, feeling his nose crack underneath his knuckles. "You killed my friend!" He yelled in his face before landing another punch. He got three more good ones out before John pulled him off of the guy.

"The blonde woman?" Now the guy sounded panicked, backing up against the wall, blood dripping from his nose. "Look, man, I was in deep with some bad people and they told me they'd wipe my debt clean if I sat outside that club to wait until I saw her alone. They wanted it to look like a mugging!" The words rushed out of Roger, eyes wide with fear. "I changed my mind but same crazy dude showed up and told me they'd kill me if I didn't do it."

Diggle picked him up by the collar of his shirt. "Who?" He shook the guy violently.

"I don't know! I don't know! The dude's face was covered up. He was wearing some sort of strange black get up and he held a sword to my throat. A sword! The guy looked like he walked out of the 1800's. I didn't have another choice!"  
Diggle shook his head before knocking the man unconscious and letting him crumple to the floor.

"Sounds like the League of Assassins to me," John said.

"Do you think he's telling the truth?" Roy asked.

"I think the League is planning something and I think Oliver is playing right into their hands."

"We have no way to warn him, let him know that their responsible."

"It's not going to change his mind. You know Oliver as well as I do, he's not going to change his mind and I'm not going to change it for him."

Roy nodded, knowing that every word out of his mouth was the truth. Whatever happened in Nanda Parbat was out of their control, all they could do was pick up the pieces when they hit the floor. "What should we do with him?"

"We'll blindfold him and stash him in the Foundry, wait until Oliver gets back, let him deal with him."

"You know Oliver's going to kill him, right?"

Diggle sighed tiredly. "He might not. He's only broken his rule once and that was Ra's, who left him with no other choice."

"This is Felicity we're talking about. If he comes back and she's still dead, who knows what he'll do."

"That's a problem to deal with when he gets back. Our only other option is turn him over to Lance and then what if she comes back alive? How do we explain that?"

Roy didn't have an answer and he didn't bother trying to come up with one. John was right. "What are we going to do if this doesn't work? If she doesn't come back?" Roy finally asked the question he didn't want an answer to, the scenario he didn't want to contemplate.

"I don't know, Roy. I don't want to think about it. What I do know is that we can't do this without her."

Roy agreed wholeheartedly. She was the heart and soul of this team. If they lost her for good, he didn't know if any of them would recover.

They picked the unconscious McConnell off the floor but they didn't make it more than two steps before the glass behind them shattered, hearing the familiar thunk of an arrow hitting flesh. Roy caught sight of a blurred figure standing on the rooftop across the street. He disappeared quickly but not before Roy made him out to be a member of the League. Roy turned back to John, who was kneeling down next to McConnell, who was dead with three arrows in his back.

"Looks like you were right about the League's involvement," said Roy.

Neither of them understood what they were neck deep in but they knew it wasn't good.

* * *

Felicity gasped, her lungs expanding painfully with the sudden intake of air. She shot straight up, clutching her chest, surprised to find that there was no blood. She distinctly remembered there being blood. Her surroundings finally came into focus and she discovered that she was no longer on the street. And she wasn't in the Arrowcave. She wasn't anywhere she recognized but she didn't have a chance to figure it out. Oliver wrapped her up in his arms tightly, almost too hard. He rested his head in her hair, inhaling her deeply. He pulled away, holding her face and searching it, like he couldn't believe that she was in front of him. He kissed her roughly, like he needed it to breathe. The kiss worried her more than anything. He broke the kiss, his forehead against hers as his shoulders heaved and she realized he was crying, something she didn't see often. "Oliver, what's wrong? What happened? Talk to me."

He took her hand, turning her palm up and holding it against his cheek, blue eyes meeting hers. "Hey," he whispered softly.

"What happened?" she asked, stroking his cheek, wanting to remove the anguish etched into his face.

"You died, Mrs. Queen." She recognized the voice from their one previous encounter and it sent a chill through her blood. If they were where she thought were, those words might actually hold some truth.

That thought her scrambling to her feet. At least, that's what she tried to do but her legs wouldn't cooperate with her, leaving her to rely on Oliver's help to stand. Her eyes darted between him and Ra's, trying to ignore the pit behind her. The last thing she remembered was going to get her purse, nothing after that. She focused on Oliver but he wouldn't meet her gaze. "Oliver, what is going on?" She was getting the idea they were in a very bad situation, a situation she would like to be made aware of.

"There isn't much time, Oliver. Say your goodbyes and I'll have Nyssa escort Felicity back to Starling City, alive and well."

Panic was starting to rise and she wished Oliver would say something, anything. "What does he mean goodbye? What do you mean goodbye?" She yelled at Ra's al Ghul.

"Felicity, you were shot and you died. You died in my arms," he said, staring intently at the floor, speaking in such a low whisper she could barely hear him. "I brought you here, it was the only thing that I could think to do, I had to do something, I couldn't let you die."

"Hurry it along, Oliver. I'm not feeling like a patient man today."

"My husband is coming with me," she snapped at him before she remembered who he was. "I don't understand what is going on here but I can tell you that things aren't going to move any quicker with you being pushy." Okay, that might not have helped as much as she'd hoped.

Ra's smiled, though it wasn't friendly. "Let me clear things up for you. You died, your husband tried to sneak you in here to use my Lazarus Pit without permission to resurrect you, and I caught him. I allowed him to use my pit on the condition that he stay here and join the League, work side by side with me. You're a smart girl and you're alive, I assume you can deduce how that negotiation went."

She turned back to Oliver, wishing she was seeing a different look on his face. "Oliver, is that true?" She placed one hand on his chest and the other grazed his jaw, drawing his eyes to her. She pleaded with him silently, needing him to tell her the truth. She needed the words to come out of his mouth, not from the leader of the League of Assassins.

He tried to smile for her but it wasn't very convincing. He was ecstatic that she was alive again but now he was losing her in a completely different way. Seeing her standing in front of him, eyes bright with questions, the smile became more genuine, and he knew that it was worth it. Whatever happened now was worth it. "I'm sorry, Felicity, but there was no other choice. It's a choice I would make again." He kissed her forehead, trying to commit her smell and the feel of her skin to his memory. "You're going to go home but I can't come with you."

She shook her head, tears spilling over onto her pink cheeks. Oliver brushed them away before taking her into his arms. "You're not a killer, Oliver. You can't be an assassin, it's not who you are," she whispered into his chest.

"What matters is that you're alive, Felicity. I love you so much more than my words can ever express, you're everything to me, and I don't want to live in a world that you're not in."

She backed up so she could see his face. "What about me? I can't go home without you because you are home. I'm not leaving without you."

"You have to, Felicity. Jack needs you."

"And he needs you!"

"You gave me your word, Oliver," Ra's warned.

"You have to go. I love you." He kissed her once more, the taste both bittersweet and salty from her tears.

A hand wrapped around her wrist, tugging as Oliver's lips left hers. She looked back at Nyssa, who'd entered the room unnoticed. "I'm not leaving my husband."

"I'm sorry, Felicity. We must go." Nyssa, for her part, didn't sound like she was enjoying what was happening.

Felicity yanked her wrist away, clutching it to her chest. "No."

"Please, Felicity," Oliver's voice cracked and her resolve diminished. She didn't want to leave him here but she wasn't going to be able to convince him tonight.

"Fine," she bit out through clenched teeth. "I love you, Oliver," she told him as Nyssa escorted her out. She stopped in front of Ra's al Ghul, standing up straight, and narrowing her eyes. "This isn't over."

He leaned in and she could feel his hot breath on her face when he spoke. "It is if you want to live, Mrs. Queen."

* * *

Roy entered the Queen mansion, Thea accosting him the second she saw him. "Have you talked to Ollie? Have you heard anything?"

He shook his head. He wished he could tell her something good, a piece of news that would brighten her day but there was none. "We found the guy that shot her."

"And?" Thea pushed.

"He said someone told him they would wipe out his debt for killing Felicity. That's all he said before someone from the League put three arrows in him."

Thea wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him close. She couldn't imagine what Oliver was feeling right now. "Why would someone do that?"

Roy shrugged, running his hands up and down her arms. "My guess is the League needed Oliver for something. Who knows what they're up to."

"What does that mean for my brother? I just lost my sister-in-law, I'm not losing him, too."

Roy was about to answer when a small voice stopped him. "Auntie?" Thea's eyes widened and she turned back to Jack, scooping the small blonde child into her arms.

"Shouldn't you be in bed, Mr. Jackson?" She tickled his ribs and he giggled in that way that only toddlers seem able to.

"Is Mommy home?" He asked around the thumb that was lodged in his mouth.

Thea looked over her shoulder at Roy and he knew that she was barely holding it together. He stepped forward, taking Jack from her. "Mommy isn't here but if you want, I can read a story."

His chin quivered, giant blue eyes welling up, signaling he was moments away from a tantrum. "I want my mommy."

Roy mustered a smile, kissing the top of his head. "I know you do, buddy. Come on, Uncle will read you one story and then you have to go to bed."

Jack nodded slowly, distracted by the idea of a bedtime story. He released a huge yawn as he mumbled good night to Thea. "Will my mommy be here when I wake up?"

"You'll have to go to sleep and find out," Roy answered, wishing Oliver would call and give them an update. The longer he was silent, the more Roy wasn't convinced that Felicity was coming back.

Thea gave Roy a grateful smile as he walked out of the room with Jack. She walked over to the stairs, sitting down and letting her head fall into her hands. She didn't understand how this could happen. Oliver and Felicity were happy, they had a relationship she was envious of, and now it had all been ripped away from them. She was happy with Roy but it was nearly impossible to measure up to the kind of relationship Felicity and Oliver have. They'd been married for four years and their love hadn't dimmed in the slightest, always touching or watching each other. You didn't have to know them to feel the love in the room, it was practically suffocating. She didn't think her brother would recover from this. She didn't think any of them would, she just hoped for the sake of Jack that they could pull through this.

The front door creaked open and she shot to her feet, hoping it was Oliver. When an exhausted and disheveled looking Felicity came into sight, Thea's heart jumped into her throat. She charged Felicity, nearly knocking her over. "How are you here? How is this possible?" The words rushed out of her.

"Is Jack sleeping?" She asked, dodging the question.

"Mommy!" Tiny footsteps slammed against the hard wood as Jack flung himself around Felicity's legs, Thea stepping away to make room.

Felicity picked him up, lifting him high into the air and smothering him with kisses. "Oh god, I missed you," she whispered in his fine, soft hair.

"Uncle Roy was going read me a bedtime story."

"Can it be a bedtime story if it's past your bedtime?" She asked in mock seriousness.

Jack pouted, confusion washing over the face that was so similar to Oliver's. Felicity did her best to ignore the emptiness in her chest, concentrating on her baby. "Where's Daddy?" Jack asked, avoiding any talk about bedtime.

"Daddy will be here later. Can you do Mommy a favor, Jackson?" He nodded, eyes sleepy and earnest. "Can you go to your room and wait for me to tuck you in? I'll be right there, I just want to talk to your auntie and uncle quick. Can you do that for me, little man?" He nodded again and she gave him an obnoxious smack of a kiss, making him laugh, before she set him on the floor, letting him run full steam towards his first floor bedroom.

She turned to Thea and Roy, dreading having to tell them that she left Oliver behind when Roy swept her into a crushing hug, nearly cutting off her air supply. "I can't believe it worked, he said when he finally let her go.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You knew what he was going to do? You let him go to Nanda Parbat alone?" Her voice was almost a shriek and she took a calming breath, not wanting Jack to run back out or overhear anything about his father. "Never mind. I know it's not your fault. Oliver's thick-headed, he's going to do whatever he wants to do."

"Where is he?" Thea asked anxiously.

"He's still in Nanda Parbat. Ra's would only help him if he agreed to join the League." They both started to erupt with questions when she shushed them, pointing in the direction of Jack's bedroom. "We are going to fix this. There is no way I'm going to leave my husband there." Again, she thought to herself. "But right now, I want to go hold my son." She saw a nearly imperceptible tremble in Thea and she strode over to her, enveloping Thea in her arms. "We'll get him back, Thea, I promise."

That thought was the only thing that gave her comfort as she walked towards her son's bedroom. She peeked into his room, light from the hall casting a glow over his sleeping features, small hands clutching his favorite storybook. She crept silently into the room, crawling into the small bed with him, tucking him in close to her. It didn't take long before she fell into a fitful sleep, tormented by nightmares of death.


End file.
